Law enforcement makes major bust — Pitt man arrested with $350k of drugs

Patrick Richardsonprichardson@morningsun.net

Friday

Sep 30, 2016 at 11:59 AMOct 4, 2016 at 6:00 PM

PITTSBURG — Approximately $350,000 in drugs were taken off the street and a Pittsburg man is in jail today facing multiple drug charges following his arrest Thursday.

According to a release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigations, a multi-agency drug enforcement operation Thursday led to the arrest of Austin Lee Gossett, 24, of Pittsburg.

At about 8:40 a.m., Thursday, law enforcement agencies served a search warrant at a residence at 1108 South Joplin in Pittsburg. Gossett was arrested on charges of possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute.

According to the release, law enforcement recovered approximately five-and-a-half pounds of MDMA in tablet form, also known as Ecstasy, and about five-and-a-half pounds of MDMA in powder form also referred to as “Molly.”

The Ecstasy seized is estimated to have a street value of $100,000, and the Molly has an approximate value of $250,000.

Pittsburg Drug Enforcement Unit Sg. Adam Harrison, who assisted the KBI in the investigation, said the amount of drugs seized were “sizable.” for a community the size of Pittsburg.

He said that while he did not want to speculate on the local market for the drugs, he did note that designer drugs like Ecstasy and Molly are typically used by college-age individuals.

The investigation began last week and was conducted by the KBI, the Pittsburg Police Department, the Crawford County Sheriff's Office, the Kansas Department of Revenue - Alcohol Beverage Control and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.

Harrison said Gossett is currently the only suspect, but the investigation is ongoing.

“We’re still gathering information and following up on leads,”he said.

Gossett is being held in the Crawford County Jail on $150,000 bond.

The Kansas Attorney General’s office is prosecuting.

— Patrick Richardson is the managing editor of the Pittsburg Morning Sun. He can be emailed at prichardson@morningsun.net, or follow him on Twitter @PittEditor.

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